Some N E W B O O K S in Review

La Verendrye, Fur Trader and Explorer. By NEa Lis M. CROUSE. (Ithaca, New York,

Cornefl University Press, 1956. ix, 247 p. Iflustrations, maps. $4.00.)

Reviewed by Antoine d'Eschambault

T H I S IS reafly the first a t t empt by a recognized

historian to write a complete life of La Veren­

drye, Heretofore most of the Verendryan litera­

ture has dealt with some particular aspect of

the explorer's discoveries or some detail of his

personal life. Mr . Crouse is the first to present

a comprehensive biography covering the entire

career of the great Canadian explorer and de­

scribing fully his character.

Nor was this an easy task. La Verendrye,

either through lack of training or inability to

gauge the respective importance of events,

speaks very little of his own personal reactions.

While his journal and reports consign faithfully

the interminable harangues of the Indian braves

in the course of his visits to the various tribes,

they contain little about the background and

the habitat of the natives. The descriptions of

the country are meager, the maps inaccurate

and at times baffling. Students are often ex­

asperated over the absence of important infor­

mation, such as the names of the victims who

were massacred with Jean Baptiste and Father

Aulneau in 1736, and the abundance and luxury

of irrelevant details.

Notwithstanding these conditions, Mr . Crouse

has produced a well-documented work in which

the general contribution of La Verendrye to

history is fully recognized. He shows in the ex­

plorer a loyal and devoted son of New France

who conscientiously strives to carry out an im­

possible assignment — tha t of the discovery of

the Western Sea. In the face of adversity,

of suspicion and jealousy, the great explorer

FATHER D'ESCHAMBAULT IS a parish priest at

Genthon, Manitoba, who has made a special

study of Lake of the Woods history. He is a

member of the Historic Sites and Monuments

Board of Canada.

pursues his course of discovery and conquest,

slowly unfolding the unknown map of western

America. His merits are never fufly recognized;

his motives are constantly questioned, and he

becomes the victim of an unhappy misunder­

standing and a difference of views between the

minister in France and the governor in Canada.

Yet through his perseverance and courage, as

Mr . Crouse testifies. La Verendrye leaves an

enduring monument to himself and his country.

To him could be applied the words of Pericles

on "brave men" — "Their history is woven into

the stuff of other men's lives." La Verendrye

emerges from this book as a great discoverer,

a man of unimpeachable character, and a model

of integrity. And it is just and equitable tha t

it should be so.

Mr . Crouse has not settled all the problems

relative to La Verendrye and his work of dis­

covery, but he has clearly stated and proved

the lofty idealism of his hero. And for this alone

he can be highly commended.

A number of errors make the book less schol­

arly than it could have been. Most of them are

probably imputable to Lawrence J . Burpee,

whose word Mr . Crouse has accepted too readi­

ly. Thus he states t ha t La Verendrye succeeded

Deschaillons as commander a t Kaministiquia

(p. 10). The engagements of the voyageurs to

Rene, older brother of La Verendrye, show that

Rene was in charge of Kaministiquia after

Deschaillons. Pierre, our hero, then a t Nipigon,

must have been under his brother a t the time.

Again, when speaking of the brothers and sisters

of La Verendrye, Mr . Crouse repeats the errors

of Burpee. Jacques Rene and Jean Baptiste

were not twins. Jacques was born in June, 1676,

and Jean Baptiste in November, 1677. Marie

Renee, mother of Christophe de la Jemeraye,

was not born in 1690, but in 1682, and she was

older, not younger, than Pierre. Another sister.

Margueri te , was born in 1680 and died in 1723.

Much could be said relative to the various

establishments of La Verendrye during his so­

journ in western Canada. This has been the sub­

ject of endless discussion and perhaps only

archaeological investigations will settle the prob-

140 MINNESOTA History

lem, as was the case with For t St. Charles. Recent excavations conducted by the National Museum of Canada on the south shore of the Assiniboine, in the neighborhood of Portage la Prairie where For t la Reine was supposedly lo­cated, have yielded nothing to prove tha t the site was ever occupied by the French. I n the case of For t Dauphin , which the author places at the mouth of the VaUey River (p. 173), the bulk of evidence indicates t ha t it was located at the mouth of the Mossey River, the "Riviere a I'eau trouble" of La Verendrye maps. A minor error is the wrong spelling of Suite's name, which is wri t ten Suite. I n the bibliography, Benoit Brouillette's La Penetration du Conti­nent Americain is wrongly a t t r ibuted to Canon Groulx, who, however, wrote the introduction to tha t work.

Even with these errors, and others, Mr . Grouse's La Verendrye remains a work of great value which will be widely consulted by stu­dents. In writing it the author has rendered an important service to Canadian and American history and he should therefore be warmly thanked and congratulated.

E X P L O R I N G T R A D E R

A Journal of a Voyage from Rocky Mountain

Portage in Peace River to the Sources of

Finlays Branch and North West Ward in

Suminer 18^^. By S A M U E L BLACK. Edited

by E . E . R I C H , assisted by A, M . JOHNSON

and R. M. PATTERSON. (London, The Hud­son's Bay Record Society, 1955. c, 260 p. Illustrations, map.)

Reviewed by Grace Lee Nute

L I T T L E was known about the first exploration into a rugged and almost inaccessible par t of British Columbia until this carefully edited vol­ume appeared. I t reveals Samuel Black, leader of the expedition, as an at t ract ive personality, possessed of leadership in the highest degree, an invincible spirit, a rugged character, an in­domitable wiU, and a marvelous capacity for observing and learning.

Black was one of the Nor th West Company's most ruthless leaders in the long and bitter

MISS NUTE is research associate on the society s

staff and the author of numerous books and

articles about fur trade history.

struggle with the Hudson's Bay Company for control of the Athabaska fur t rade. I t is the more strange, therefore, t ha t George Simpson, after the absorption of the Montreal company by the London corporation in 1821, chose Black and the latter 's close friend and associate, Peter Skene Ogden, for Hudson's Bay Company ex­ploits of a particularly dangerous and delicate nature. Something of the "Litt le Emperor 's ' ' ability to judge character is revealed by these astonishing choices. Both Black and Ogden more than fulfilled his faith in them.

Though little practical resulted immediately from Black's harrowing and perilous journey up the Finlay River to the watershed between the Stikine and the Liard rivers, the scientific world eventually profited. For Black's hobbies were geology, natural history, and anthropology. His journal, therefore, contains lengthy descrip­tions of the flora, fauna, rocks, and Indians of the hitherto unknown area around the divide between streams in the Alaska-Yukon terri­tories. In addition. Black possessed not a little literary excellence, and his diary makes good and exciting reading.

The introduction by R. M . Pat terson is a masterly and concise account of Black, his sig­nificance, his explorations, and his long career in the Oregon fur trade; of his journal in its long history of almost unbelievable survival of fire, neglect, dispersal, and other vicissitudes; and of the struggle between the Hudson's Bay Com­pany and the Nor th West Company from about 1800 to 1821.

K E N S I N G T O N A N D N E W P O R T

Explorations in America before Columbus. By H J A L M A R R . HOLAND. (New York, Twayne

Publishers, Inc., 1956, 381 p. Illustrations, maps. $6.00.)

Reviewed by Tryggvi J. Oleson

T H E " G H O S T " of the Kensington stone walks again in Mr . Holand's new book. I t will not, however, change the opinions of many with re­gard to the authenticity of the Kensington runes or the origin of the Newport Tower. Most of his material is old stuff. Mr . Holand still be­lieves tha t the Eskimos destroyed the Icelandic

MR. OLESON is associate professor of history in

the U7iiver.sity of Manitoba at Winnipeg.

September 1956 141

colonies in Greenland. He still believes tha t it was feasible for a small par ty to travel with a big boat from the mouth of the Nelson River to the interior of Minnesota in a couple of months . His faulty knowledge of Icelandic is again re­vealed, for example in the use of for ad leita and vestan (p. 355). "Ave Virgo Maria, save us from evil" is still a good medieval prayer.

I t is true tha t a note of doubt has crept in so far as the Schleswig turkeys are concerned. But in essentials the Knutson expedition and the building of the Newport Tower are treated in the same fashion as in Mr . Holand's earlier books. Space indeed is devoted to an a t t empt to refute some of the arguments of recent crit­ics and the author makes the best case he can for his beloved stone and tower. In the opinion of this reviewer, however, the fact remains tha t he has not been able to overcome the devastat­ing criticism of such experts as Jansson, Moltke, Br0nsted, Wahlgren, and Godfrey.

Finally it must be said tha t no one should presume to write on the Norsemen in America who has not read Jon Diiason's huge work, Landkonnun og landndrm tslendinga i Vestur-heimi ("Explorations and Settlements of the Icelanders in the Western Hemisphere"), pub­lished a t Reykjavik in 1941-47. This remains true whatever merit one may think Dr . Diia­son's thesis and conclusions possess. This work does not appear in Mr . Holand's bibhography, which is far from exhaustive, nor does he show any signs of acquaintance with it.

C A N A D I A N I M P R E S S I O N S

Early Travellers in the Canadas, 1791-1867. Edited by GERALD M . CRAIG, (Toronto, The

Macmfllan Company of Canada, 1955. xxxvi, 300 p . Iflustrations, $6.00.)

Reviewed by Harold T. Hagg

F R O M a substantial body of travel literature Professor Craig has competently skimmed the cream to give the general reader a vivid picture of the development of the Canadas from rude beginnings to a more mature society. Through the eyes of the visitors we see many aspects of the pre-Confederation Canadian scene. Among

3,IR. HAGG is professor of history in the State Teachers College at Bemidji.

the authors are professional soldiers, clergymen, literary personages, fellows of an Oxford or Cambridge college, farmers, and a textile worker. Except for one American and one Ger­man, all came from the British Isles. The selec­tions are long enough to be significant — a merit some similar anthologies lack.

I n his well-written introduction the editor presents a discerning appraisal and a general overview of the travel accounts from which he has drawn his extracts. A short preface pro­vides a setting for each selection. Explanatory footnotes are used as sparingly as possible. Good printing and binding, a handsome cover, and eight illustrations from contemporary sources combine to make an at t ract ive volume. There is an extensive bibliography and an index.

These well-chosen and carefully edited selec­tions make delightful reading. They contain many shrewd observations and much droll hu­mor. There is some excellent description ot French Canada, but most of the material is devoted to Upper Canada. Major themes are the provinces as homes for emigrants and the leveling influence of the frontier environment. The travelers' reactions ranged from outright disapproval to warm admiration of what they saw, but on the whole the views are friendly.

The book deserves a wide audience. I t will appeal especially to Canadian readers, though Americans also will find it of interest, not least for the illuminating comparisons between their country and its northern neighbor. Those fond of "grass roots ' ' history will enjoy the revealing accounts of early farming, the house-raising, the camp meeting, frontier remedies, and other fea­tures of pioneer hfe.

I N D I A N LORE

Schoolcraft's Indian Legends from Algic Re­searches, The Myth of Hiawatha, Oneota, The Red Race in America, and Historical and Statistical Information Respecting the Indian Tribes of the United States. Edi ted by M E N ­TOR L. W I L L I A M S . (East Lansing, Michigan State University Press, 1956. xxii, 322 p. $5.00.)

Reviewed by Philip D. Jordan

I N 1839 Henry R, Schoolcraft, the explorer who discovered the true source of the Father of Waters, published in New York a significant

142 MINNESOTA History

collection of Ind ian tales and legends under the title of Algic Researches. "Algic" — a term Schoolcraft coined — was a collective noun em­bracing tha t family of tribes "who, about A,D. 1600, were found spread out, with local excep­tions, along the Atlantic, between Pamlico Sound and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, extending northwest to the Mississippi of Hudson's Bay and west to the Mississippi." Long interested in the oral, imaginative lore of the Algic people, Schoolcraft filled notebooks with specimens of their t radi t ionary tales. H e found this literature possessed of imagination, religious overtones, and codes of morality and ethics. They mirrored, in short, cardinal cultural principles. "Nothing ," declared Schoolcraft, "is too capacious for In­dian belief. Almost every declaration is a proph­ecy, and every tale a creed."

This volume, edited by Mr . Williams, brings together the major legends first printed in Algic Researches plus sixteen tales selected from Schoolcraft's other works. They represent "Od-jibwa" or Chippewa, Shawnee, Sioux, and Otto-wa stories. They tell of the origin of Indian corn, of a lover who lived on the banks of Lake Superior, of the reason for the robin, of the great god Manabozho. Biographical and histori­cal narratives are excluded as are myths and legends which Schoolcraft used only in par t or in summary form. Each tale carries School­craft's original notes. Other supplementary ma­terial has been supplied when necessary by the editor. Of fascinating interest is an appendix which reprints pert inent comments by the ex­plorer on the theory and importance of Indian folklore. Students of American literature wifl be interested in a further discussion of the " m y t h " tha t Longfellow took his themes for Hiawatha from the Finnish Kalevala. Indeed, Mr . Wil­liams points out tha t Longlellow himself frank­ly acknowledged his debt to Schoolcraft.

Although this anthology of Indian tales is of primary interest to folklorists, anthropologists, and students of Ind ian culture and history, it also should appeal to many general readers who appreciate a story well told and are fond of the legend as a narrat ive form. These tales, colorful, dramatic, sensitive, are of worth in themselves as an expression of Indian culture. Mr . Williams has performed a real service with this volume

MR. JORDAN is professor of history in the Uni­

versity of Minnesota.

just as he did with his edition of Schoolcraft's Narrative Journal of an Expedition. I t is un­fortunate, indeed, tha t the Michigan State Uni­versity Press presented these volumes to the public in about as unattract ive a format as possible.

O R E G O N F U R T R A D E

The Fur Hunters of the Far West. By A L E X ­ANDER Ross . Edited by K E N N E T H A. SPAUL-

DING. (Norman, University of Oklahoma Press, 1956. xxiii, 304 p. Illustrations. $5.00.)

Reviewed by John Francis McDermott

F I F T E E N YEARS experience as clerk with the Pacific Fur Company, the Nor th West Com­pany, and the Hudson's Bay Company provided the materials out of which Alexander Ross fashioned his two classics of fur trade and ex­ploration, Adventures of the First Settlers on the Oregon or Columbia River (1849) and The Fur Hunters of the Far West (1855). The sec­ond of these is here made available once more. The story tha t Ross had to tell of fur hunting from the fall of Astoria to 1825 is both soundly informative and exciting. I ts value, of course, lies not in his personal story, but in the vivid narrat ive of the way of life of fur hunters and traders at their posts and in the woods and of the Indians and animals they encountered. White wolves, Indian encampments, the organ­ization of the Nor th West Company, bear hunt­ing, Indian women, social rank and table man­ners at a fur post, the Snake Indians ' fondness for a diet of crickets, grasshoppers, and ants — there is fascinating variety here. Ross well de­served a new issue.

In preparing this edition, Mr. Spaulding has chosen not to reprint the original publication, which had been "improved" by its publisher, but to use the Ross manuscript, now in the Coe Collection at Yale University. The last chap­ters, which have nothing to do with the Oregon story, have been omitted, but passages previ­ously expunged have been restored in order " to capture precisely the qualities ot immediacy, emotional a t t i tude, and imagery tha t the 1855

MR. MC DERMOTT, u. member of the English fac­

ulty in Washington University, St. Louis, has

written and edited numerous volumes relating

to the upper Mississippi and Missouri valleys.

September 1956 143

work eliminated." The account has been allowed to stand in the words of the author "where-ever the meaning is not obscure," but spefling and punctuat ion have been made to conform to usage today.

I t is to be regretted tha t a book so valuable as this should be so sketchily edited. One is puzzled to know what Mr . Spaulding thinks the function of an editor is. He seems to proceed on the assumption tha t the only readers ot this book will be persons thoroughly familiar with the history of the Northwest t rade, and tha t a t the least they will have read the author 's Ad-

ventures on the Oregon and Irving's Astoria,

for he leaves references to these books unex­plained. He does not mention, and apparently he has not examined, any records of the fur companies involved or accounts written by any other persons concerned in the fur trade of the Northwest during the period covered by Ross. His author would appear to be the original and sole observer.

The eight-page introduction gives something of the background of British-American compe­tition for furs, some data about Ross's book (though no mention of his previous work), and a tew facts about the author 's life. But Mr . Spaulding does not give the reader any tore-taste of the book itself nor does he a t tempt to fill out Ross's biography from other sources. Since there is no extended sketch of the fur trader 's life, tha t should have been par t of the editor's job.

The notes to the text are few and are limited almost entirely to very brief identification of place names. On occasion the editor is quite wrong, as when in commenting on Ross's con­fused reference to Washington Irving and the name "Astoria," he says: "Irving probably did supply the name" — an egi'egious blunder for anyone professing to edit a work on the Oregon fur t rade (p. 4). The many persons in the nar­rative go unidentified. No a t tempt is made to confirm or amplify incidents reported, but not participated in, by the author. Adequate anno­tat ion of the first two chapters alone — fifty-four pages — would call for more than forty additional notes if the tacts were to be pinned down properly tor the reader.

The only map is tha t from the 1855 edition, which is not adequate, for it does not locate a number of the posts mentioned in the narrat ive. The index is full but not analytical. There is

no entry for Ross; to locate any fact about him one must search the entire volume.

This handsomely made volume is superbly iflustrated by eighteen water colors and draw­ings by Alfred J . Miller, Henry J . Warre, and Charles Bodmer (some of them published for the first time) from collections in the Yale Uni­versity and Newberry libraries, and the Walters Art Gallery of Baltimore. These Indian por­trai ts and genre studies, and particularly the landscapes, are exceUently executed and charm­ing "reports ' ' on the Northwest : their inclusion notably heightens the effect of Ross's narrative.

S C I E N C E A N D P O L I T I C S

The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, volumes 11 and 12, January 1 to August 6, 1787, and August 7, 1787, to March 31, 1788. Edited by JULIAN P , BOYD, (Princeton, Princeton

University Press, 1955. xxxiii, 701 p.; xxxviii, 701 p . Illustrations. $10.00 each.)

Reviewed by Jesse H. Shera

T H E S E T W O volumes ot the Jefferson Papers, which cover only fifteen months of their au­thor's sojourn in France, present an interesting contrast. The first, though it includes the period when the Assembly of Notables was meeting in France and the Federal Convention was drafting the new Constitution in the United States, is largely devoted to personal rather than political or official mat ters . I t is the second volume which records in detail Jefferson's ob­servations to Adams, Madison, Washington, and others on the provisions ot the new government­al structure.

Perhaps the most important single document in volume 11 consists of notes on a tour ot south­ern France and northern I ta ly, from March 3 to June 11, 1787, the longest tour tha t Jefferson made. This account is ot particular interest be­cause it is a narrat ive of a purely personal tour. Jefferson traveled as a private citizen, with no official responsibilities. His main objective was to study at firsthand the economic, social, and agricultural conditions of the region, and his mode ot travel, alone and relieved of affairs of state, made possible the fullest realization of his

MR. SHERA is dean of the school of library science

in Western Reserve University at Cleveland.

144 MINNESOTA History

purpose. I t was during this excursion tha t Jef­ferson made himself the greatest American au­thori ty on French wine, dispatched to America samples of I ta l ian rice, and urged American cultivation of the olive tree. He was intrigued, too, by every mechanical device which came to his at tent ion, and both the report and his letters reveal his admirat ion for the scenery of south­ern France and the remains of Roman architec­ture. The last was of particular interest to him because of his eagerness to improve architecture in America.

Throughout this volume, as in its predeces­sors, the reader is made acutely aware of the enormous breadth of his interests. The letters to his daughters, M a r t h a and Mary , display the deep affection of the parent . In his correspond­ence with Charles Burney and Francis Hopkin­son he discourses a t length on the harpsichord. He maintained a wide circle of friends among the young men of his period, including John Trumbull , the painter, and William S. Smith, the son-in-law of John Adams. An inexhaustible interest in science dominates his correspondence with Benjamin Vaughan, and from General John Sullivan he secured the skeleton of a moose with which he hoped to convince the celebrated French naturalist , Georges Buffon, tha t animal lite in America was not degenerate.

While volume 11 is of primary interest to the general reader, volume 12 contains a rich store for the student of American political and con­stitutional history. I n i ts pages are set forth Jefferson's correspondence with the leaders of the new nation, and from these the reader de­rives his first real understanding of the Jeffer-sonian political philosophy. Here, too, one gains some insight into the rich store ot political writings tha t is to be expected from subsequent volumes. At this time Jefferson and John Adams were carrying on important negotiations with the Du tch bankers with a view to increasing the financial stability of the American government, and the results of their efforts are reported to John Jay a t the very close of the book.

Though there is, perhaps, less in this collec­tion to a t t rac t the general reader, the materials here reproduced are not without their lighter aspects. Jefferson's correspondence with a wide circle of women friends continues to gTow and includes such figures as Abigail Adams, M a r t h a Eppes, and Angelica Church, sister-indaw of Alexander Hamil ton. He maintains his int imate

correspondence with many younger men, advis­ing them concerning their education and travels and aiding them in countless smafl ways. Here, too, is reprinted the famous letter from Jefferson to the editor of the Journal de Paris, writ ten in indignation over French misinterpretation of events surrounding the adoption of the Declara­tion of Independence. Bu t now, thanks to the editors of the present work, it is definitely estab­lished tha t this communication was never dis­patched.

I n a long series of reviews such as these one can scarcely continue to repeat the obvious fact tha t as the collection ot documents grows one's admiration for the richness of Jefferson's mind and character correspondingly increases, but the emotion is no less real for being unexpressed.

M I N N E S O T A M O N A S T E R Y

Worship and Work: Saint John's Abbey and University, 1856-1956. By C O L M A N J, BARRY,

O.S.B. (Collegeville, Minnesota, Saint John's Abbey, 1956. 447 p. Iflustrations. $5.00.)

Reviewed by August C. Krey

R E L A T I V E L Y few persons are aware tha t St. John's Abbey a t Collegeville is the largest Bene­dictine monastery in the world. Fewer still are aware of the important par t it has played in building Minnesota. T h a t story is now made available to all in this beautituUy printed book.

The banner title, Worship and Wcrrk, epito­mizes the Rule of St. Benedict which governs the life ot the abbey. The rule requires both religious practice and labor of all its members. No task is too humble, whether it be clearing the forest, tilling the soil, or helping in the con­struction ot buildings. Nor is any member too exalted to share in this labor, as witness Abbot Alexius helping to shingle the roof of his five-story building or Abbot Peter sawing and split­t ing as much as nineteen cords of cordwood for fuel in a single year. Such an institution was peculiarly adapted for survival on a frontier where it served as a missionary of both religion and civilization. St. John's Abbey has repeated on Minnesota soil what the Benedictine monas­teries ot Canterbury and Wearmouth, Fulda and

MR. KREY retired in 1956 after a long career as

professor of medieval history in the University

of Minnesota. He now resides in Austin, Texas.

September 1956 145

Metten had done earlier on the European fron­tier.

This book is no meager chronicle, such as we have for those earlier monasteries. The author is himself a member of the community, but one who has been thoroughly trained in the methods of modem historical scholarship. He has pre­sented an intimate account, in full detail, of both the internal and external activities of the abbey, and he has not hesitated to include the troubles and failures along with the achieve­ments. We possess no such full account of any of the famous old monasteries which engaged in exactly the same activities. The student of me­dieval history will therefore welcome this book for the light it throws on subjects missing from accounts of the early Benedictine abbeys.

An unusual feature of this volume is the com­pleteness of the story in picture as well as pen. Nearly two-hundred illustrations trace the his­tory from a picture of the founder and the ruins of the first building to the election of Abbot Baldwin and the architect's drawing of the pro­jected new chapel. Pen and picture supplement one another at every step, each giving added vividness to the other.

The author and the community as well as the printers are to be congratulated for producing such an interesting and informing book.

V I S U A L I Z I N G T H E P A S T

The Look of the Old West. By FOSTER-H. \RRIS .

With illustrations by EVELYN CURRO. (New

York, The Viking Press, 1955. 316 p. $7.50.)

Reviewed by John Francis McDermott

FOSTER-HARRIS is right. Military cam­paigns, the exploration of the West, the devel­opment ot cattle ranching or transportation, and homesteading are matters we know quite a lot about. We know what happened, where, when, and how it happened. But can we see \t? "There are worlds and worlds of vital statistics about the West," says the author, "but just try and visualize a vital statistic. How does it hold its pants up? Does it pack a gun, smoke, chew, wear its hair long, smell sort ot peculiar? . . When something is really alive in your mind, when you can see it, hear it, and even smell it, these are the tall trifles that perfect the pic­ture."

Here are the details briefly mentioned in most

books — the "unimportant" details we take for granted until we need them and then must search long and painfully for them. Have you seen a hay burner stove? A Texas gate? Do you know the difference between an "Arkansas toothpick" and a Green River knife? How is a chuck wagon set up? In what way does the prairie schooner differ from the Conestoga wagon? Would you recognize a buckboard if you saw one?

Foster-Harris and his able illustrator Evelyn Curro show us these things in The Look of the Old West. With them we can follow the con­struction of the enormous wheels of the Mex­ican oxcart, that all-purpose freighter of the Southwest plains. The planter's hat, popular after the Civil War, and the Stetson, fast grow­ing in favor, are differentiated. The body of a Conestoga wagon was painted Prussian blue, the running gear bright red. Chaps might be — de­pending where one was — armitas, woolies, shot­guns, batwings, Cheyenne leg, or Texas leg in style. Mexican fiesta and Mexican stock sad­dles, Texas and California saddles, cavalry and artillery saddles are all here. Revolvers by the dozen are pictured and described. You can find here the difference between a mounted officer's bit and a soldier's, between a major's dress epaulets and a second lieutenant's, between the belts and buckles ot mounted troops and those ot foot soldiers, between officers' uniforms and those ot chaplains. When you have finished this book, you do know what the "old West" looked like.

Few of the more than eighty titles in the bibliography are primary works, but many ot them are thorough and excellent studies of their special subjects. There are no footnotes. The book is well indexed. The many ink drawings are as important as the text in giving us the "look of the old West."

C O L L E C T I N G M A N U S C R I P T S

The American Collector. Edited by DONALD R. MCNEIL, (Madison, The State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1955, 61 p. $2.00.)

Reviewed by Lucile M. Kane

IN 1954 the State Historical Society ot Wiscon­sin observed by a year-long celebration the cen­tennial of Lyman C. Draper's appointment as its first superintendent. On Founders Day, one

146 MINNESOTA History

ot the highlights of the year, were delivered the

four papers here published: "Draper ' s Predeces­

sors and Contemporaries" by Lyman H . But ter­

field, "The Modern CoUector" by R o y P . Basler,

"The Wisconsin Exper iments" by Donald R.

McNeil , and "The Draper Manuscr ip ts" by

Alice E . Smith.

Mr . Butterfield's essay, the most extensive in the volume, places Draper 's work in historical perspective. Recounting stories of collecting by individuals and historical institutions from the eve of the American Revolution to 1844, when Draper made his first extended tr ip through the old Southwest, Mr . Butterfield gives fascinating instances of the preservation of early manu­scripts. The accomplishment ot the collectors, Mr . Butterfield writes, "'may be suggested by the immense advance made by American history in the nineteenth century."

In "The Modern Coflector," Mr . Basler as­sesses the situation ot both private and institu­tional collectors. He observes tha t collecting today has become a big business, with an expert middleman conveying materials from seller to buyer. The private collector, who necessarily builds his collection from the offerings of deal­ers, "must have an inordinately greater wealth than his predecessors were required to have." The institutional collectors, too, have problems. Mr. Basler believes t ha t while many historical societies and libraries are doing a good job in preserving nineteenth-century records, little or nothing is being done about those of the twen­tieth century. His conclusion should shatter any complacency a coflector might have about ac­complishments in solving the problem of twen­tieth-century records: " I n spite ot hazards of fire and decay, records had a better life ex­pectancy a century ago simply because life was more commodious."

"The Wisconsin Exper iments" is a good state­ment ot work tha t is being done to improve the life expectancy of records. Mr . McNeil reviews the Wisconsin system ot locating manuscripts, appraising them, selecting those which should be preserved, and providing for their storage. Miss Smith, in "The Draper Manuscr ipts ," ex­pertly deals with some of the dramatic steps in the building of the Draper Coflection, the use already made of the manuscripts, the unwrit ten studies still in the papers, and the relationship between the Draper manuscripts and the Tur­ner thesis.

C H I C A G O C E N T E N N I A L

The Chicago Historical Society, 1856-1956: An

Unconventional Chronicle. By P A U L M . ANGLE. (New York, Rand McNally & Com­pany, 1956. 256 p. IUustrations. $7.50.)

Reviewed by Russell W. Fridley

T H I S documentary history of the Chicago His­torical Society bears an appropriate title. Mr . Angle has written a "chronicle" ot the first hun­dred years of the institution he directs tha t is as refreshing as it is "unconventional."

The Chicago Historical Society is one of the nation's great privately supported historical in­stitutions. This intimate account ot its first cen­tury illuminates its growth, hardships, and achievements. I t also sketches many of the per­sonalities who built it into an effective organiza­tion. I ts early leaders envisioned it as a bearer of culture to a rapidly growing business center. In an address before the society in 1868, Isaac N. Arnold said: "Let us make this hall the re­ceptacle ot all the treasures of the past; let us gather here all tha t there is in the way of man's past history, which may serve to aid, guide, and to enhghten in the difficulties of the future." Such hopes of the founders were eventually realized. Chicago became a world center ot mu­seums and the Chicago Historical Society be­came a treasure house of American history.

The documents tha t make up the book depict not only the development of an institution, but also the growth of the city it serves. Records from the society furnish intimate glimpses ot the rapidly growing city on Lake Michigan. For example, William Corkran provides a colorful description of life in Chicago in 1868, when he arrived to take up his duties as the society's li­brarian. Moving letters by Corkran and Samuel Stone vividly describe the horrors of the great Chicago fire in 1871. This catastrophe leveled the society's building and consumed its collec­tions, including the original Emancipation Proc­lamation.

Disaster and achievement, serious problems and amusing incidents have been the lot of this venerable institution. The author brings all of

MISS KANE is the Minnesota Historical Society's

curator of manuscripts.

MR. FRIDLEY is director of the Minnesota His­

torical Society.

September 1956 147

them into sharp focus. While setbacks figure prominently in the story, the general pattern is one of growth. At various times loyal and out­standing leaders came forward to advance the cause of the society. Its physical plant gradu­ally enlarged as it occupied four different build­ings during the course of a century. Paralleling this expansion was the broadening of its overall concept and program.

The arrangement of the book is interesting. Excerpts from minutes, committee reports, speeches, letters, and newspaper articles have been skillfully woven together. Brief explana­tory statements by Mr. Angle knit the docu­ments together into an absorbing narrative. His talents as an anthologist and a historian are apparent throughout. To rich documents that tell the story of a great institution, he adds wit, perspective, and an appreciation of its first hun­dred years.

C A N A D I A N N O R T H W E S T

The Struggle for Responsible Government in the

North-West Territories, 1870-97. By L E W I S

HERBERT T H O M A S . (University of Toronto

Press, 1956. viii, 276 p. $5.00.)

Reviewed by W. L. Morton

THIS IS a study of the first stages of the con­stitutional evolution of the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. It complements C. C. Lin-gard's kindred study ot Territorial Government in Canada, which is in the main concerned with the period from 1897 to 1905. Students of Cana­dian constitutional history will read the new work, of course. Students of American constitu­tional, and still more of American territorial, history might well find it of interest to compare this Canadian chapter with the American ex­perience of colonial government. And students of the history of the Canadian West wUl dis­cover that Mr. Thomas, despite the constitu­tional character of his work, has written a read­able and often quietly entertaining account ot early Western politics and life.

The Canadian mode of territorial government was greatly influenced by American example, but differed from it in one important and typical

MR. MORTON is a member of the history faculty in the University of Manitoba at Winnipeg.

aspect. It was conceived of as a transitional stage of government between the incipient com­munity of a just-occupied wilderness and a society sufficiently developed to become self-governing. But the Canadian scheme did not provide, as the Northwest Ordinance did, certain objective tests of progress from one stage of territorial govern­ment to another and to local self-government. The progression was to be decided pragmati­cally, as events and occasions might suggest. This has been the British way, as the history of British India from 1909 to 1948 indicates.

I t has always meant, however, that there has been a "struggle" between the exponents of an increase in local control and the defenders of central direction. In the Canadian territories, as in British colonies, the key to local control has been "responsible government," that is, the control of the executive officers ot government by local representatives. In western Canada this struggle was sharpened by the presence of the metis, and it resulted in the two "rebellions" of 1869 and 1885. It was sharpened also by party divisions and, above all, one suspects, by con­siderations of the control of patronage.

All these things Mr. Thomas makes abun­dantly clear in a book which is scholarly throughout and flawlessly produced by the Uni­versity of Toronto Press.

P L A I N S R E G I O N

The Great Plains in Transition. By CARL FRED­

ERICK KRAENZEL. (Norman, University of

Oklahoma Press, 1955. xiv, 428 p. Illustra­tions, maps. $5.00.)

Reviewed by Helen M. White

HERE IS a full, detailed, and provocative study, by a professor of sociology in Montana State College, of the Great Plains as a distinc­tive region of the United States. The author points out that this is a region about the size of the original thirteen colonies, including more than five hundred and eighty-six thousand square miles, or one-fifth of the land area of the United States. It extends sixteen-hundred miles from Canada to Mexico and, at its widest point,

MRS. WHITE is engaged in preparing a documen­tary study of the overland expeditions which crossed the northern plains in the 1860s.

148 MINNESOTA History

seven hundred and fifty miles from the nmety-eighth meridian to the foothflls of the Rockies. Within the region are five and a half mfllion people — an average density of nine and four-tenths people per square mile — or three and seven-tenths per cent of the total 1950 popula­tion of the United States.

The region is semiarid, averaging twenty inches or less ot precipitation annually. I t is characterized by extreme temperature varia­tions, high evaporation, and a continental cli­mate which is unpredictable, variable, and affected by air masses from the north, west, and south.

Although the Great Plains possess a distinct geographical unity, the author states t ha t they form a region torn apar t . I t embraces portions of ten different states and a great number ot federal agency subdivisions; it is divided by east-west railroad lines with inadequate north-south connections and discriminatory freight rates. I t s inhabitants consist of a variety of racial, social, and economic minority groups who work a t cross purposes more often than they co-operate. The area is, in fact, a colonial de­pendency of the Eas t and Midwest, a region ot limited resources which sefls cheap and buys dear, with a way of lite imported from the humid Eas t and unsuited to a semiarid environ­ment.

The author describes many aspects ot plains life — the climate, physiographic features, land ownership, population, irrigation, dry farming, multiple use of resources, tax and governmental structures, co-operatives, and community organ­izations. H e emphasizes the necessity for adapt­ing and developing techniques and institutions suited to the peculiar needs of the plains, and insists t ha t its people should learn from native plants and animals t ha t mobility, flexibility, and reserves are necessary to the creation of a self-supporting, nonsubsidized way of life. He be­lieves tha t the whole nation will profit from the process of "lifting the Plains from their lowly position as a 'colony' to the respectable s tatus of a region." Since fifteen per cent of the world's land area has characteristics similar to those of the Great Plains, other nations will profit also.

Students of Minnesota history may feel tha t Mr. KJraenzel's historical background is too sketchy, particularly for the northern plains. They may wonder, for example, how deeply the raflroads, newspapers, banks, stockyards, flour

mills, mail-order houses, and political and agrar­ian movements with which Minnesota and the plains were intimately associated were influ­enced by the Great Plains environment. Never­theless, any future investigators in this field will gratefully use The Great Plains in Transition for its valuable information and provocative ideas.

4 - H C L U B L E A D E R

My Sixty Years with Rural Youth. By T . A. ERICKSON, with the assistance ot A N N A

N O R T H C O I T . (Minneapolis, The University

of Minnesota Press, 1956. xiii, 162 p. Illus­trations. $2.75.)

Reviewed by Agnes Harrigan Mueller

I N T W E L V E fact-packed but lively chapters flavored by anecdotes, " D a d " Erickson, with the able assistance of Anna Nor th Coit, tells the inspiring story of his work with youth as a teacher, county superintendent of schools, and club leader. This highly readable book is skill­fully organized. I t has two generous inserts of illustrations showing high points in 4-H Club activities as well as glimpses of " D a d " Erick-son's personal lite.

From his Swedish immigrant parents, T. A. Erickson received a legacy of religious faith and honor, a sense of responsibility, a love of the land, the ability to surmount drudgery and see beyond it, and a strong belief in enjoyment. During his long and productive lite, he has worked to share this legacy with the people of Minnesota and the nation. Finding better ways to work with parents, young people, and com­munity leaders has been the key to " D a d " Erickson's success. I n 1904 whfle superintendent of schools in Douglas County, he spent twenty dollars of his own funds to buy seed for a corn-growing contest. This was the first ot his many ingenious devices for turning drudgery into fun with crop-growing contests, cattle exhibits, homemaking shows, and national congresses.

By livery team and sled over early settlers' trails, by special extension trains filled with agricultural exhibits, by bus and car, " D a d " Erickson traveled about the state selling the

MRS. MUELLER is the author of a history of the Future Farmers of America in Minnesota, pub­lished in 1955.

September 1956 149

merits ot boys' and girls' club work. During the thirty years he served as 4-H Club leader in Minnesota, about half a million young people became members in the state, and they grew up to be better farmers, homemakers, and citi­zens as a result. After Mr. Erickson reached retirement age as a member of the University of Minnesota extension division staff, he was employed until 1954 by General Mills. There he was given a free hand to publish booklets to aid club work and to travel widely, meeting 4-H Club workers and leaders.

In his high school graduation oration in 1891, Mr. Erickson said: "Let us all grasp our many golden opportunities and use our talent that we may not at the closing moment of our life look back with regret, but that we may enter an eternity having employed our lite to the best of our ability." Now in his eighty-fourth year, "Dad" Erickson has given us this delightful book demonstrating that he fully grasped every opportunitj' to achieve his goal — a better life for farm boys and girls.

H A Y E S A N D M I N N E S O T A

IN HIS recently published work on Rutherford B. Hayes and His America, Harry Barnard pro­vides a thorough biography of the nineteenth president of the United States (Indianapolis, The Bobbs-Merrfll Company, 1954. 606 p, $6,00.). Exhaustive research went into the prepa­ration of this highly readable book, which car­ries Hayes through the many phases ot his long and interesting career as a Civil War soldier, a member of the Reconstruction Congress, three-time governor of Ohio, and president after winning what Mr. Barnard describes as "the wierdest election on record." Minnesotans will be interested to learn from this biography that Hayes owned land in their state near Duluth, It was purchased for him by William K. Rogers in 1856, when Jay Cooke was promoting the North­ern Pacific Raflroad. Rogers, who was Hayes' Ohio law partner, went to Minnesota Territory for his health and "to get a fortune out of speculating in the cheap land there." R.W.F.

on the HISTORICAL HORIZON A COURSE in "Historic Housekeeping" held at Cooperstown, New York, from September 18 to 24, 1955, under the, joint auspices of the New York State Historical Association and the National Trust tor Historic Preservation has achieved permanence in two recent publications. The first takes the form of three articles in the April number of New York History, all based on papers included in the course. There, Ken­neth Chorley points out "What ' s Wrong with Historic Preservation" and defines four basic principles tha t should be used as "working cri­teria" by any one concerned with such activity; Florence M. Montgomery describes "The Train­ing of Guides for Historic House Interpreta­tion"; and Frederick D, Nichols discusses the "Techniques and Problems of Historic Restora­t ion" from the architect's viewpoint. The sec­ond is a "selection of material on certain basic aspects . ot historic preservation" published in Antiques for July. Leading off with "A Look at Historic Preservation" is Louis C. Jones, who explains why significant historic structures should be kept intact by writing: "Progress goes from some place to some place, and it we would know where we are and where we are

going, we must also keep a tew points on the chart to indicate where we have been. Out ot this knowledge should come a valuable kind of personal security such as a child is given in a loving home." Mr . Jones also stresses the need for preserving more buildings " tha t speak di­rectly to those ot us whose families had cal­louses, as well as to those who had carriages." Among others who contribute to this issue of Antiques are Nina Fletcher Litt le, who pro­vides "An Approach to Furnishing" a historic house, and Edward P . Alexander ot Colonial Williamsburg, who deals with the problems of "Interpreta t ion."

TO T H E M a y number of the Pacific Historical Review, John D . Hicks contributes a stimulat­ing examination of "What ' s Right with the His­tory Profession." Although scholars are inclined to be self-critical, the writer says t ha t on the positive side members of the profession "are imbued with a deep sense of mission," tha t they are eager " to promote . . . a fuller and better understanding of the past ," for they realize that "upon the wide dissemination ot historical knowledge so much ot consequence depends."

150 MINNESOTA History

He feels t ha t the profession is to be commended, too, for its "recognition of the importance of the recent pas t ," for its willingness to " take a deep look into the history of other nations and other t imes," for its "increasing awareness of the full scope of history," for its observance of "high s tandards of craftsmanship" and literary excellence, and for its freedom from "the dis­gusting jargons tha t deface many other fields."

A T R A N S L A T I O N by Sergio J. Pacifici of a Copy of a Letter of the King of Portugal Sent to the King of Castile concerning the Voyage and Success of India has been published by the University ot Minnesota Press for the James Ford Bell Collection in the university library (1955. 24 p . $5.00.). The first and last pages of the original " le t ter" published in Rome in 1505 are reproduced in facsimile in this hand­some little volume. One of tour known copies of the rare t rac t is owned by the Bell Collection. The Minnesota edition is the first to appear in English. The University of Minnesota Press also has published The James Ford Bell Collection: A List of Additions, 1951-195i, compiled by the curator, John Parker (1955. 69 p . $3.00.). This bibliography reflects the recent growth of a distinguished collection of books relating to the history ot t rade.

FOR T H E T O U R I S T who wishes to follow some ot the Trails of the French Explorers in the Great Lakes country and the Mississippi Vafley, Marion S. Scanlon has provided an in­teresting little guidebook (San Antonio, Texas, The Naylor Company, 1956. $2.50.). The au­thor confines herself largely to the trail blazed by Marque t t e and Joliet, describing points of interest along their route as they were in the seventeenth century and as they appear today. Lists of "Highways to Historical Sites," of ad­dresses of some historic bufldings in Wisconsin, and of pert inent books and articles add to the usefulness of Miss Scanlon's work.

T H E G A M E of "Lacrosse has one of the long­est and most colorful genealogies in American history,' ' according to an article in the Johns Hopkins Magazine for April. After quoting some accounts of "The Great Game" as played by the American Indians, the anonymous writer turns to its development as an "organized sport," particularly in Canada and the United States. Included is an account of the organiza­tion of the Montreal Lacrosse Club in 1849 as a result of the efforts of Dr . W. G. Beers, who also was instrumental in "spreading the game through the provinces."

September 1956

VARIOUS aspects of the federal government 's Indian policies over the years are examined in the Spring number of Ethnohistory. Of special interest to Minnesotans is W. Sheridan War­rick's analysis of "Indian Policy in the Upper Old Northwest Following the War of 1812." I n other provocative papers Russell L. Caldwell poses the question, "Is There an American In­dian Policy?" and William T. Hagan discusses "Pr ivate Property, the Indian's Door to Civil­ization."

T H E W E S T W A R D "advance of the gun fron­tier" is traced by John C. Ewers of the Smith­sonian Inst i tut ion in an informing article on "The Nor th West Trade Gun" published in the spring issue of the Alberta Historical Review. Drawing upon the records ot explorers, traders, and travelers, the writer cites examples of the use of firearms in Indian warfare and in the fur trade. For instance, he notes tha t when Zebu­lon M . Pike was a t Leech Lake in 1806, he "ob­served tha t 'N.W. Guns ' were traded to Indians at the Nor th West Company's fort" there. Mr. Ewers also tells the story ot the manufacture of these guns both in England and America. Reproduced with the article are pictures ot North West guns now in museum collections, a pencil drawing of such guns made by Carl Wimer in 1858, and a painting by Carl Bodmer depicting their use in an Indian battle.

A DISCUSSION of the causes and results of the metis uprisings of 1869 and 1885 may be found in F . Mason Wade's bulky study of The French Canadians, 1760-19i5 (New York, 1955. 1136 p.). In support of his avowed purpose to "ex­plain why the French Canadians live, think, act, and react differently from English-speaking. Nor th Americans," the author devotes a chap­ter to the stormy career of the metis leader, Louis Riel, sketching the background of the up­risings in the Red River country of Minnesota and Mani toba and touching on the role of James Wickes Taylor in the Minnesota annexation movement of the 1850s and 1860s. Of interest, too, is the book's first chapter on "The Heritage of New France," in which Mr . Wade reviews the exploits of Cartier, Champlain, and other significant French Canadians.

J O S E P H Frazier Wall is the author ot a bril­liant study of "Marse" Henry Watterson: Re­constructed Rebel, which has been published by the Oxford University Press (New York, 1956. xvi, 362 p.) . I t provides a biography ot the last of the "personal" journahsts — the man who served as editor of the Louisville Courier-Jour-

151

nal for half a century. The author skiflfuUy pictures Watterson's immersion in and influence on American politics and journalism. As evi­dence of his subject's active interest in national politics, Mr. WaU notes his personal acquaint­ance with every president except one from John Quincy Adams to Franklin D. Roosevelt, and describes his role in eleven presidential campaigns. Minnesotans will be specially inter­ested in an account of Watterson's support of Governor John A. Johnson for the presidential nomination in 1908. R.W.F.

WRITING under the title "Research in Rail­road Archives," Donald W. Meinig gives per­tinent advice about and valuable information on the records of the Northern Pacific and Union Pacific systems in the January number of the Pacific Northwest Quarterly. Of special interest to students of Minnesota history is the author's description of the vast body of mate­rial in the possession ot the Northern Pacific Railroad in St. Paul. In addition to outlining the types of records available there, Mr. Meinig gives specific directions for gaining access to them, describes available research tools, and in­dicates the location of various kinds of material.

S O M E A N N I V E R S A R I E S

SO M A N Y communities have marked centen­nial and other anniversaries during the past summer tha t it is quite impossible to give them adequate coverage in the limited space avail­able in this magazine. Substantial centennial volumes in hard covers issued for the Min­neapolis and Zumbrota centennials will be re­viewed in a future issue. Illustrated pamphlets and newspapers, some of which represent valu­able contributions to the recorded histories of their localities, have appeared in a number of other Minnesota and Wisconsin communities. With brief comment, they are listed below:

Blue Earth. The Blue Earth Post of June 28 commemorates the community's centennial. A large number ot its 118 pages are devoted to local school, business, and church histories, and to sketches and reminiscences of pioneers.

Bayfield, Wisconsin. A centennial section of 88 pages compiled by Eleanor Knight, who wrote most of the articles, forms a supplement to the Bayfield County Press of June 28. Arti­cles on the Apostle Islands, on Henry M . Rice, and on Admiral Henry W. Bayfield are of spe­cial Minnesota interest.

Duluth. A centennial edition of the Duluth News-Tribune, dated June 29, comprises 160

pages. Articles about the city's development as a railroad, mining, lumbering, and shipping cen­ter are featured, and its role as an important frontier lake port is stressed.

Janesville, Wisconsin. A permanent record of this community 's centennial observance, which was marked from June 24 to 26, is a History of Janesville, 1856-1956 (72 p.)

New Prague. The New Prague Times for June 28, consisting of 36 pages, contains infor­mation about a Minnesota Czech settlement tha t has retained many old-world characteristics during the course ot a century.

Plainview. In connection with the communi­ty 's "Centennial Days , " celebrated from June 29 to July 1, a pamphlet entitled Plainview: Plateau of Plenty (96 p.) was published. Signifi­cant features are lists of pioneer settlers drawn from the manuscript population schedules of 1860, and entries from the diary of Irvin W. Rollins, a pioneer who migrated from Vermont in 1855.

Princeton. A short "History ot Princeton'' is included in a Princeton Centennial booklet (64 p.) issued in connection with a community cele­bration staged from June 1 to 3.

Proctor. A special edition ot the Proctor Jour­nal, published on June 28, commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the paper and reviews its history. The issue, consisting of 78 pages, is noteworthy for articles about and pictures re­lating to the Duluth, Missabe, and Iron Range Railroad, on which the town is located.

Sf. Cloud. The city's celebration of "Century Week," from June 24 to 30, was marked by a centennial edition of the St. Cloud Daily Times, issued on June 30 and consisting of 116 pages. For the same occasion, Gertrude Gove and an editorial committee of the Stearns County His­torical Society compiled and edited a valuable. Centennial Souvenir Album, portraying in words and pictures "a century ot living in St. Cloud" (72 p,). Both publications contain material on the city's granite industry,

Somerset, Wisconsin. This St, Croix Valley community, which marked its anniversary from June 22 to 24, issued a Triple Centennial Jubi­lee Souvenir Book for the occasion. The author and editor. Father John T. Rivard, presents histories of the village, of the township, and of St, Anne's Church.

TO COMMEMORATE the passing ot a cen­tury since James J. Hill arrived in St. Paul on July 21, 1856, the Great Northern Railway, which he founded, arranged a "reminiscent ex-

152 MINNESOTA History

hibi t" in the First Nat ional Bank of St. Paul . Largely by means of pictures, it reviewed the career of the Empire Builder, I t s opening was a feature of a Railroad D a y celebration staged in St, Paul on July 20 to mark the centennial. Representat ives of eleven railroads at tended ceremonies in the St, Paul Union Depot and a luncheon a t which the speaker was 'William T, Faricy ot Washington, president of the Ameri­can Association of Raflroads, Among articles published to commemorate the Hill centennial was one by Lou Gollop in the St. Paul Pioneer Press tor July 15, another in the Minneapolis Tribune of the same date, and six sketches de­picting features ot "The Modern Great North­ern—20th Century Empire Builder" in Modern Railroads for May,

B E Y O N D STATE B O U N D A R I E S

T H E " S P O R T I N G Expedi t ion" into the Rocky Mountains country organized by Sir William Drummond Stewart in 1843 is designated the "First 'Dude Ranch ' Tr ip to the Untamed West" in the February number of American Heritage. The author, Alvin M , Josephy, Jr., illustrates his account of this frontier hunt ing par ty with reproductions, some of which are in full color, of paintings made by Alfred J. Miller on a similar tr ip with Stewart in 1837. In the same issue appear color reproductions in five sections of the "Famous Cyclorama of the Great Batt le ot At lan ta" — a huge circular painting originally executed in Milwaukee and now pre­served in Atlanta . A descriptive text is pro­vided by Bruce Cat ton , and an explanation of "How the Cyclorama was Pa in ted" is given by Wilbur G. Kur tz . T o the August number of American Heritage, Stewart Holbrook contrib­utes a dramatic account of the " t ragedy of the Peshtigo forest fire in Wisconsin, during which some twelve hundred people lost their lives on the evening of October 8, 1871." The author notes t ha t "by an incomparable irony of fate, this happened also to be the night when" the Chicago fire began — an event t ha t "took its place among our classic disasters" while the far more extensive and deadly Peshtigo fire re­mained unpublicized.

N E W S P E C U L A T I O N S on the fate ot La Salle's "Griffon" have arisen as a result of the finding of the t imbers of a small vessel on Rus­sefl Island near Tobermory, Ontario. C. H, J, Snider reviews the circumstances surrounding the loss of the ship and describes the present find in Ontario History for the winter of 1956. In the Winter, 1955, and Spring, 1956, issues ot

September 1956

Inland Seas Rowley Murphy gives a complete description of the Tobermory wreck and com­pares it with other seventeenth-century French ships. In the second par t of his article, Mr . Rowley summarizes his reasons for believing tha t the Tobermory wreck is the lost "Griffon" and he points out tha t its measurements agree with the firsthand description of the vessel given by Father Hennepin. Also in Inland Seas for the spring of 1956 is a note from Frank A. Myers describing the efforts ot the Manitoulin His­torical Society to prove tha t another wreck, found on Manitoulin Island, is tha t of the "Griffon."

T H E R O L E O F John A. Macdonald. The Old Chieftain in the crisis created by the Riel rebel­lion is illuminated by Donald Creighton in the second volume of his biography of Canada 's first prime minister, which deals with Macdon-ald's career from 1867 to his death in 1891 (New York, 1956, 630 p.) . The author also sheds light on Macdonald's intervention in the plans of James J, Hill and Donald Smith to establish a railway connection between Winni­peg and St, Paul in 1878.

T H E STORY of the Silver Islet mine on the Nor th Shore ot Lake Superior, which produced silver worth over $3,500,000 during its short period of operation, is told by Beryl H. Scott in the March issue of the Canadian Geographic Journal. Bonanza silver deposits were found on the tiny island, twenty-five miles east ot Por t Arthur, in 1868, and the mine was worked by the Ontario Mineral Lands Company, ot which Alexander Sibley, brother of Henry Hastings Sibley, was president. Pictures accompanying the article show the mine as it looked at the peak of its productiveness in the 1870s and as it looks today.

A L E T T E R written by Douglass Houghton in 1831, describing his "Tr ip to Sault Ste. Mar ie" to join Henry R. Schoolcraft's expedition into the Minnesota country, has been edited with an introduction and notes by Philip P . Mason for publication in the December number ot Michigan History. The document provides an "interesting account of t ravel" by steamboat and schooner and in a bark canoe "manned by nine singing voyageurs." In the same issue ap­pear summaries of papers read a t Michigan State University on March 26, 1955, to mark the centennial ot the publication of Longfel­low's Song of Hiawatha. Included are items on "Indian Legends" by Stith Thompson, on "In­dian Mythology since 'Hiawatha ' " by Richard

153

M . Dorson, and on "Prehistory and Folklore'" by Emerson K, Greenman,

A N E X C E L L E N T Teachers' Guide to Michi­gan History, compiled by John Clementz and Mary F , Noecker, has been issued by the Michi­gan Historical Commission (Lansing, 1956. 42 p.) . Designed for use with F . Clever Bald's his­tory of Michigan in Four Centuries, reviewed in the Spring, 1955, number of this magazine, the Guide contains selected bibliographies, lists audio-visual aids, and gives practical teaching suggestions tha t will be of interest to elementary and secondary history instructors everywhere.

A M I N N E S O T A N who has long been inter­ested in local history, Mr. Leo Capser of St. Paul, deserves much of the credit for establish­ing the Madeline Island Historical Museum at La Pointe, where he has a summer home. Ac­cording to the Bayfield County Press ot June 28, it is ' 'made up of several buildings each with an exceedingly interesting individual history," all skillfully combined and surrounded by a stockade. Included are par t of the local Ameri­can Fur Company trading post, the town jail, a log barn, and a "sailor's home," The museum is incorporated and is officially associated with the State Historical Society of Wisconsin,

T H E W I N T E R number of the Wisconsin Mag­azine of History is a "Rededication Issue" de­voted largely to the past accomplishments and future plans of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. I t includes also a record of the cere­monies a t Madison on October 8, 1955, when the society rededicated the building which has housed its collections since 1900. After sharing its quarters with the university library for more than half a century, the society now occupies the entire building, remodeled during the past two years to meet its present needs.

S T U D E N T S of business history will be inter­ested in Theodore F . Marburg 's volume en­titled SmaU Business in Brass Fabricating, re­cently published by the New York University Press (116 p. $5.00.). The author, who is pro­fessor of economics in Hamline University, pre­sents a history ot the Smith and Griggs Manu­facturing Company of Waterbury, Connecticut. The business historian may well look upon this newly issued work as a type study.

THE M I N N E S O T A SCENE

T H E H U D S O N ' S BAY Company's use of "The Minnesota Rou te" between Fort Garry and St.

Paul is the subject of an interesting article by Alvin C. Gluek, Jr. , in the spring issue ot the Beaver. He shows how, in the 1850s, St. Paul displaced York Factory as the result of a "start l ing t ransportat ion revolution . . . below the 49th parallel" resulting from "an easy inter­locking of three means of t ransporta t ion: rail­roads, s teamboats, and the humble Red River carts ." Names like J . C. Burbank and Anson Nor thup take on a new significance when viewed in the light of this "revolution." Another aspect of the subject is revealed in a series of letters wri t ten by Sir George Simpson to Gov­ernor Alexander Ramsey in 1858. They have been edited for publication, from originals owned by the Minnesota Historical Society, by Grace Lee Nute . The letters indicate tha t when the Minnesota route was opened, officers of the Hudson's Bay Company "decided it would be advantageous to establish a bank a t St. Paul," but what happened to the project is not known.

A S K E T C H of Henry Hastings Sibley and a list of his children appear in the summer issue of the Research Magazine of the Detroit So­ciety for Genealogical Research, These items about a prominent Minnesota pioneer are in­cluded in a study, by Beulah Puffer Kreage, dealing with the "Ancestors and Descendants ot Solomon Sibley of Detroit , Michigan," who was Henry's father. In this detailed genealogi­cal compilation, installments of which have been appearing in the Research Magazine since the fall of 1955, Mrs . Kreage shows tha t Min­nesota's first s ta te governor represented the seventh generation of the Sibley family in America.

A B I O G R A P H I C A L sketch of Clarence Luther Herrick, Pioneer Naturalist, Teacher, and Psy-chobiologist, by his brother, Charles Judson Herrick, has been published by the American Philosophical Society as volume 45, par t 1 of its Transactions (Philadelphia, 1955. 85 p.). Both brothers were born in Minneapolis, where their father settled in 1858, and both received their early training in the frontier community. Included in the narrat ive is an interesting rec­ord of family life there, and ot Clarence Her-rick's experiences as a s tudent in the pioneer University of Minnesota and as N . H . Winchell's assistant on the Minnesota Geological and Nat­ural History Survey. In a chapter entitled "The Making of a Natural is t ," the writer in­cludes a record ot the Young Natural is ts ' Society, organized in 1875 by seven boys at tending the Minneapolis High School. I n addit ion to Her­rick, its membership included Thomas S. Rob-

154 MINNESOTA History

erts, later famed as an ornithologist. Herrick's activities as a member of this group and his work a t the university and with the geological survey the author describes as an "apprentice­ship" tor a distinguished career.

T H E C A R E E R of Austin Dowling as second archbishop ot St. Paul after 1919 is reviewed by Marvin R. O'Connell in a master 's thesis which has been issued in mimeographed form under the title The Dowling Decade in Saint Paul (1955. 131 p.) . The work reveals the arch­bishop as an efficient administrator, a popular orator, and an educator, and indicates t ha t his efforts were largely directed toward encouraging the assimilation of Catholic immigrant groups into American lite.

T H E J U N E number ot the Scriptorium, a pub­lication of St. John's Abbey a t Collegeville, is devoted to biographical sketches ot the 241 "monks who a t one time were members of St. John's Abbey and died as members ot the Order of St. Benedict." I n an introduction, Fa ther Titus Thole, who prepared the compilation, notes tha t the monks ' names are arranged "ac­cording to the dates of their profession," but full alphabetical indexes make it possible to locate individual sketches with ease.

T H E R O L E ot Arthur and Marian Le Sueur in the early history of the Nonpart isan League and the Farmer-Labor par ty is recalled by their daughter, Meridel Le Sueur, in a little book to which she gives the appropriate title Crusaders (New York, 1955. 94 p.) . Published shortly after her mother 's death in 1954, the narrat ive provides some biographical information about two leaders of Minnesota 's more recent third-par ty movements . The text is, however, more literary than factual, and it is sometimes difficult to pin down the sequence of events described.

SOME T E S T S made a t the Mayo Clinic in 1942 by Charles A. Lindbergh are the subject of a feature article by Victor Cohn in the Min­neapolis Tribune for July 1. The author bases his account in par t on the famous aviator 's foreword to a newly published Handbook of Respiratory Physiology, issued by the Air Force, and on his notes and those of the clinic. The Handbook was edited by the late Dr. Walter M. Boothby, an author i ty on aviation medicine, under whose direction General Lindbergh made the tests in a chamber simulating high alti tude conditions. I n September, 1942, when he "be­gan a series of 10 mock parachute jumps," little was known about "high-altitude's greatest dan­

ge r— lack of oxygen." Because he "believed pilots could train themselves to detect its ad­vance signs," General Lindbergh volunteered to make the tests.

I N T H E April issue of the Minnesota Archae­ologist, I rving H. H a r t recounts his adventures as "An Amateur Archaeologist in Northern Min­nesota" largely in the 1920s. How he located the site of the Nor th West Company post on Sandy Lake, traced the route of the old Savan­na Portage, and excavated sites long since occu­pied by Indians and white traders are explained by the author, who in 1926, 1927, and 1928 published accounts of these rewarding activities in Minnesota History. A valuable feature of the present publication is a map ot the Big Sandy Lake area in which the sites are located.

T H E E N T E R T A I N I N G collection of 101 Best Stories of Minnesota, written by Merle Potter and first published in 1931, has been reprinted by Schmitt Publications (Minneapolis, 1956. 305 p . $3.95.). With a new foreword, this read­able potpourri of anecdotes, sidelights on emi­nent men, and interesting events in Minnesota history is once more available. Included, for ex­ample, are accounts of how Joe Rolette saved the capital for St, Paul, of the milling explosion of 1878, ot Joseph R, Brown's invention ot a steam wagon, and of the Northfield robbery,

M I N N E S O T A ' S "Wild Rice Harves t" is the subject of an illustrated article by Dan Brogan in the June number of Frontiers, the monthly mag­azine of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, The author contrasts past and present harvesting methods, explains state regulations governing the harvest, touches on its importance to the Chippewa economy, and gives informa­tion on marketing practices.

E A R L Y stagecoach travel on the military road from St. Paul to Duluth is described by Frederic Brandes in a series of articles appearing in is­sues of the Askov American from July 5 to 26. Mr . Brandes tefls of the building ot the road, the inns along its route, the hardships of travel, the stagecoaches and their drivers, and the final passing of stagecoach travel with the coming ot the raflroad.

A B U I L D I N G in Fairmont formerly used as a parish school has been presented to the Mart in County Historical Society for use as a museum. The donors are Dr. R. C. Hunt and Dr. William Hun t and members of their famflies. A recent publication ot the Mart in County society is a

September 1956 155

booklet entitled Minutes of a Century (78 p.) which includes historical sketches of Manyaska , Jay , Lake Belt, Lake Fremont , and Sherburn townships.

TO M A R K the site of the Forest City stockade, built by local settlers for defense against the Sioux during the uprising of 1862, the Meeker County Historical Society has erected an elab­orate monument . A brief history of the stockade, prepared by P . J . Casey, is included in the printed program issued in connection with the dedication ceremony on June 16.

T H E F I F T Y - S E V E N T H anniversary of the Clyde Iron Works of Dulu th is the occasion for the publication of an article on its history in the Duluth News-Tribune for March 11. The au­thor, Jim Myhers , notes tha t its products have been used in constructing some of the largest buildings in the United States as well as in seventy-three foreign countries.

TO H E L P it "assemble a collection of contem­porary photographs of St. Louis County which will serve as documentary history," the St. Louis County Historical Society is sponsoring a photographic contest. Eight cash prizes, totaling two hundred dollars, wifl be awarded to those whose pictures are selected by a special jury. The contest wifl be followed by an exhibition to be held in the society's museum from Novem­ber 4 to 30.

A T Y P I C A L rural school of the 1870s has been removed to the fairgrounds a t Waseca, where it wifl be preserved under the auspices ot the Waseca County Historical Society. The original benches, desks, blackboards, and the like have been kept in the early .structure.

N E W S OF THE S O C I E T Y

T H E F O U R T H annual Teachers' Ins t i tu te in Minnesota History, which will have for its theme "Explorers and Voyageurs," wifl be held in the Historical Building under the society's auspices on October 11. Dean Theodore C. Ble­gen of the graduate school in the University of Minnesota will speak, taking as his subject "On the Trail of the Explorers," and Dean Melva Lind of Gustavus Adolphus College will sing a group of voyageur songs.

F R O M T H E estate of the late Mrs . L, N , Scott of St, Paul, the society has received an exten­sive and valuable theatrical collection, covering

roughly the period from the 1880s to 1939, I t reflects the long careers as theatrical managers in St, Paul and Minneapolis of Mrs . Scott and her husband, Louis N . Scott, who became identified with the amusement business shortly after arriving in St. Paul in 1875. Included are twenty-eight scrapbooks for the years from 1892 to 1937, sixty-two bound volumes of programs covering the period from 1883 to 1937, and unique files of two Minnesota periodicals — The Twin City Amusement Bulletin for 1891-92, and The Critic: A Journal of Amusement for 1897-98. With the gift also were received thirty volumes of manuscript records of the Scotts' theaters, including minutes, articles of incorpo­ration, ledgers, journals, accounts, and similar items for the years from 1889 to 1939.

A H U N D R E D items from the papers of Wfl­liam A. Van Slyke, St. Paul businessman and civic leader, have been presented by his daughter-in-law, Mrs . Charles A. Van Slyke of St. Paul. Among the manuscripts, which date from 1860 to 1904, are items relating to the St. Paul winter carnivals of 1886 and 1888, to Van Slyke's Civfl War service, and to the celebration tha t marked the completion of the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1883. Printed items received with the coflec­tion include a rare Illustrated Catalogue and Price List of Painter's Fire Works (1886).

T H E O N L Y K N O W N file ot the first eleven volumes of the Mississippi Valley Lumberman and Manufacturer has been placed on perma­nent loan with the society by the magazine's publication office in Minneapolis. I t extends from the first issue, dated August 17, 1876, through the year 1886.

A M O N G recent articles by staff members to appear in print are accounts of " T h e Papers of Jonathan Carver" by Mr . Fridley and of "The Writings ot Fa ther Hennepin" by Mr . Cutler, in the Proceedings ot the Minnesota Academy of Science tor 1955. Both appear under the gen­eral heading "An Evaluat ion of Documents Use­ful to the Ethnohistorian." Mr . Fridley also is the author ot the introduction to a new edition of J . G. Kohl's Kitchi-Gami: Wanderings Round Lake Superior, recently issued under the imprint of Ross and Haines, Inc. (Minneapolis, 1956). A condensed version ot Mrs . Holmquist 's article on the Republican national convention of 1892, which appeared in the June issue of this maga­zine, is presented in the Minneapolis Star for .August 7, and a pictorial version ot the same narrat ive appears in the Picture Magazine of the Minneapolis Tribune for July 22.

156 MINNESOTA History

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